Hydkattlic engine



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC.

JAMES S. GWYNNE, OF NE\V YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO SAMUEL NICOLSON, OFBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

HYDRAULIC ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 19,224, dated January 26, 1858.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, JAMES STUART GWYNNE, ofthe city, co-unty, and State of New York, have invented an ImprovedEngine to be Used for Hydraulic or Various other Purposes; and I dohereby declare that the same is fully described and represented in thefollowing specification and the accompanying drawing, which denotes avertical section of the same.

An apparatus constructed to embrace the principle of my invention can beemployed, either as a pump, a steam engine or a water meter.

In the drawing, A, is a hollow drum or case furnished with a cylindricalchamber, a, and a shaft, C, extending through it axially. Within thechamber and fixed on the shaft is a cam piston, B, which extends fromthe shaft and has a short circular arc, c, d, of its periphery incontact or very nearly so with the inner curved surface of the chamber,a. This piston having the form substantially as indicated in the drawinghas its opposite sides in contact respectively with the two heads of thecase, A, and it supports a cylindrical roller, D, whose periphery restson it, and within an opening, b, formed through or arranged in the caseand over the piston as represented in the drawing, the said openingleading into a chamber, G, which is placed on the case A, and shouldhave its inner curved surface arranged with respect to the opening b,I), as exhibited in the figure.

A pipe, E, leads into the chamber, a, just in rear of and a little belowthe roller, D, while another pipe, F, leads out of the chamber, G, nearthe lower part thereof and on the opposite side of the case, A, withreference to that on which the pipe, E, is situated. Now, if a rotarymotion be given to the shaft, C, so as to cause the piston, B, torevolve in the chamber, a, and in the direction of the arrow, e, and thepipe, E, is in communication with a vessel or reservoir of water orother liquid, such liquid by the combined operations of the piston andthe roller will be drawn up the pipe, E, and into the chamber, a, andwill be drawn through the opening, b, and into the air chamber, G, fromwhich it will escape through the pipe, F. The roller, D, will rotate onthe periphery of the cam piston and rise and fall within the opening, b,b,

and chambers, a, and, G, the lower part of the curved surface of thelatter serving to direct the roller down on the cam piston at such timeafter the part, c, d, thereof may pass by, the opening, o, b. Thechamber, G, performs two functions, that is, it not only operates as anair vessel for the pump chamber a, but it serves to receive the rollerand direct it on and toward the piston as specilied. If when the lowerend of the pipe, E, is open to the atmosphere or is in communicationwith a condensing apparatus, we cause steam to pass through the pipe, F,into the chamber, G, and from thence thro-ugh the opening, I), into thechamber a, the steam will press on the piston, B, and cause it torevolve in the direction indicated by the arrow f, until the piston maypass by the entrance of the pipe, E. As soon as this takes place, suchsteam will pass out of the pipe, E. Immediately, after the piston mayhave passed the opening b, the steam will again act on it (the piston)so as to force it around, the waste steam escaping ont of the pipe, E.Provided, the shaft, C, be furnished with a fly wheel, the momentum ofthe latter may be employed to carry the piston by the opening, b, b. Inthis way, the apparatus may be used as a steam engine or motor. Again,provided water be allowed to iow through the, pipe, F, and into thecase, G, and through the opening, b, 7), and upon the piston, suchpiston will be driven around in the direction denoted by the arrow, f,until the arc, o CZ, of it may have passed by the mouth of the pipe, E,and the opening, ZJ, Z). Then, the water received into the case, a, willbe expelled through the pipe, E, `by the further rotation of the pistoncaused by the pressure of the water in the chamber, G. Thus by knowing'the amount of water discharged by the pipe E, during each entirerevolution of the piston We may measure the fiow of water during anyperiod of time provided we ascertain the number of revolutions thepiston may have made during such period. This can be done by a countingapparatus such as is Agenerally employed in water meters. Thus themachine may be employed as a water meter.

As it will be necessary to have some means of causing the piston to passby the pipe, E, and the opening b, b, when the machine is used, eitheras a pump, steam engine or water meter, the power by which the shaft maybe rotated will sutlice for such, when the apparatus may be employed asa pump; but when it is to be used as a steam engine or a fluid meter, afly wheel may be applied on its shaft, provided the momentum generatedin it by the velocity of the shaft may be enough to carry the piston bythe opening, but in case such a device cannot be used to advantage, theapparatus may be duplicated, with the exception of the driving'shaft,which may then extend through both chambers, a, and have both thepistons applied to it and in such manner that one shall stand on theshaft in a direction opposite to that in which the other may be arrangedthereon. Thus while one piston is in the act of passing the opening b,b, of its case, itwill be drawn or caused to pass by it by the pressureexerted on the other piston so that a continued rotary motion of theshaft will be maintained.

The great advantage of my hydraulic engine is in its simplicity ofconstruction, for it requires no slide valves; also that the rollerrotates freely on the periphery of the cam piston while such revolves,the same serving to enable the parts to operate with very littlefriction and wearF-the gravitating power of the roller, keeping suchroller in contact with the piston while the latter is in revolution. Inconstructing the roller it should be made of greater specific gravitythan that of the fluid which may enter the chamber G, and this in orderthat it may always maintain itself in contact with the piston during therevolution of the latter. In constructing the roller, D, I have made itof a short piece of metallic pipe with an india rubber covering or shortgum elastic pipe stretched concentrhically on it. I do not howeverconfine my invention to such a mode of making the said roller.

I am aware, that in the construction of rotary pumps and steam engines,a slide or gate operating with a cam piston has been employed; also,that a roller has been placed in a recess of a rotary piston and made toroll therein and in contact with the inner periphery of the drum or caseof the piston during the rotation of the latter. I am also aware of andof course do not claim the rotary pump of Ramell described in LeopoldsTheatre' Mac/Lz'narum Hyclmialz'carum, vol. 1, pages 133 and 134. Thislatter differs essentially from my invention-for in Ramells pump atoothed wheel piston is employed, each tooth of which works in contactwith the inner periphery of its surrounding case. In consequence ofthis, the spaces forholding water in the case are only those which existbetween the teeth and as a matter of course must be very limited intheir aggregate, in capacity, to the water space in my rotary pump inwhich the water space surrounds t-he entire eccentric cam piston exceptthat single arc of its surface which is in contact with the periphery ofthe case. Furtherl more, the eduction passage of the case in my pump isthe passage in which the roller is placed, the water in passing out ofthe case being made to pass directly through the roller passage.

Therefore I claim- 1. Applying and arranging the roller passage, b, theroller, D, and the cam piston, B, together and in the case A, in suchmanner that a liquid when expelled from the pump may pass out throughthe said roller passage, b, as described.

I do not claim the combination of an air vessel with a pump, but

Vhat I do claim is- 2. The arrangement of the closed air vessel, G, onthe case, A, and in respect to and so as to operate in connection withthe opening, b, b, and the roller, D, of the said case, or serve, notonly as an air vessel but as a receiver and guide for the rollersubstantially as herein before set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my signature this 7th day ofOctober A. D. 1857.

J. STUART GVVYNNE.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, F. R. HALE, Jr.

